--Lae's point of view--

“Aaaaaaaaaaah”

I sighed deeply as I walked the hallways of the citadel, heading to Ron's office.

I was refused by a hero, I couldn't even learn his name. I didn't know why he refused me but I kind of expected it, I was just an elven prostitute from the slums after all.

I wouldn't be punished since he would cover up for me but for some reason being refused bothered me anyway. He seemed a nice guy after all, even if he acted a bit weird, asking strange questions.

I tried to imagine what would have happened if he accepted me. Since he was a hero he probably would have treated me nicely and gently. When I imagined being treated with sweetness by a man, my heart felt a little warmer, at least for a little bit.

But I was refused, I could do nothing but to accept it.

I arrived in front of Ron's office and knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

I entered the room. The first thing I saw was a banner representing an eagle with three pairs of wings surrounded by three golden suns, the emblem of the Esha Empire, hung on the wall. Underneath it, there was a well-dressed noble with a young and handsome appearance.

Ron looked at me for an instant, he then stopped writing and got up.

“Your fee is in another room, follow me.”

He said coldly.

I followed him through the hallways, trying to keep his pace.

I followed him for about ten minutes and we seemed to be going pretty far, I could see fewer and fewer servants passing us by. I was starting to get suspicious but even if my suspicions were right there was nothing I could do about it. I mentally prepared myself, if I did right I could gain some future works in the citadel.

“Quicken your pace, elf.”

I heard Ron say disdainfully.

Without noticing I got a little behind. I quickened my pace and returned right behind Ron.

Shortly after, we arrived in front of a metal door. Ron opened it with a key and I saw a stone stairwell going down.

I remembered the rumors about some nobles' gruesome sexual tastes and suddenly my suspicions changed into much worse ones. I started to fear I may never get out of that door again.

I made a couple of steps back and thought about running away but I soon realized it was impossible. I didn't remember the way back and I knew all the nobles trained themselves and hunted monsters to some degree, I couldn't escape from someone whose body was powered by magic. I had to play the only card I could play.

“P-please sir, I will do everything you ask me, you can have every part of me, but please, at least leave me my life.”

He made a disgusted face and replied.

“Do you really think I want to touch a dirty elf like you? Say another thing like that and I will deny you a painless death. Now, you can come with me and die painlessly or resist and face the consequences. Choose.”

Every hope I had to make it out alive was crushed. I didn't know why I had to die, but it seemed even that was asking too much. I think I should have felt angry or desperate, but all I was feeling was just sadness.

We lived in a mad world, we were born and then died., both without a reason. All my life I saw nothing but people killing and dying without a reason and I could never do anything to change it.

Now it seemed my turn just came and I couldn't do anything about it.

I felt my mind getting empty and serene, then I took a step forward, but........

“Stop!”

The hero from before suddenly showed up.

--David's point of view--

What I was doing was very stupid, I still hadn't enough magical or political power to feel safe, yet I was already trying to save someone, somebody I just met at that.

I couldn't help it though, I couldn't stand the thought to have to lay low in fear of those Hoss's dorks, there's no way that wouldn't irritate me like crazy.

Also, using my blessing on Lae may have influenced me, now the thought of her dying made me sick. That was my fault though, I shouldn't let myself be influenced by such worries, even considering what saving her represented.

'I should be wary of using my blessing from now on.'

I ran through the hallways, asking the maids if they saw Ron and Lae, and then I found them.

Lae was about to walk down the stairs to the dungeon.

'Is she so stupid she still didn't notice anything suspicious?'

I yelled at them.

“Stop!”

Lae looked at me and made a bewildered face, while Ron seemed irritated.

Ron then donned a calm expression and said:

“Is there something you want, hero? I was about to guide her home but if you want her some more you just have to ask.”

“I know you're going to kill her, I want you to spare her life.”

“I don't know why you think I am going to kill her, mister David, I have not such intentions. I brought her here just to let her use a more discrete exit. It would not be proper to have a prostitute walk out of the citadel from the main door, so I am guiding her to a more discrete exit.”

“Stop spouting bullshit, you bastard. I know you're going to kill her, otherwise, you wouldn't have revealed to her that I'm a hero.”

“ She is a trus-”

“I said to stop with the nonsense. Now, just let the girl live, if you don't, one of your precious hero, a messenger of the goddess, is going to reveal himself and then sink the idea of heroes the populace have. I already have ready my “100 ways to break the goddess' asshole list”. You don't want the people to lose their faith for an elf girl, right?”

Ron's face distorted into a grin, then swiftly managed to recompose himself, took a few seconds to think, and then said:

“I got it. If you want to save this girl that bad I'll give you a chance, David. Let's face each other in the training ground, if you manage to hit me just once in less than ten minutes I'll let the girl live.”

'What does that mean?'

I was sure he was much stronger than me, but his challenge didn't cancel my threat. Maybe he believed I wouldn't go through with it and beating me was just a way to have me give up. For the time being, I decided to try, if I lost I would just threaten him again.

“Fine with me, make way.”

We went to the training ground, with Lae following nervously behind us.

We both took up a wooden sword and got ourselves on guard.

Ron wasn't moving, waiting for me to make the first move. I didn't make him wait and launched a Dark Bullet to his head. He didn't pose any limitation for this spar so I was going to use my full power, not that he was going to let himself be killed by something like that. And even if he did, who the fuck cared?

He dodged the spell by moving his head slightly. I launched an illusory Dark Bullet and then launched myself forward, slashing at him using the fire enhancement.

He didn't dodge the illusion and then parried my attack with one hand, sending my sword flying.

'Damn.'

I ran to the sword and took it up. He let me do it, not moving a muscle to stop me.

I then kept my distance and tried to think of a plan.

I launched my sword at him and then when he was about to dodge, I fired off three dark bullets in the direction he was dodging. But he easily avoided them by twisting his body and blocking them with his sword.

I ran to the sword and picked it up again. He, again, didn't stop me. I decided to try something else.

I used Flamethrower for a few instants, making him dodge to the right. Then I made the same, making him back away a few steps. I repeated this a few times until I brought him where I wanted, almost exhausting all my mana.

I launched my sword at him and he dodged to the right again, touching the wall, near the corner of the room. I used Flamethrower, aiming to his left and then moving it towards him, this time he had no room to dodge anymore. I used almost all my mana in that attack so if it failed I would have left only a couple of illusions to work with.

When the flames died though, Ron wasn't on the same spot anymore, he was flying upon it, unbruised.

He was using Telekinesis, a spell of the non-attribute type, basically a type of spells that manipulated raw mana to create kinetic force. It seemed an easy type of magic, but it was actually both difficult and mana demanding, only veteran magicians could use it.

He landed and then, with a mocking attitude, he said:

“If that's all you got, we can end it here, there's no way a newbie can hit me.”

Now I was starting to get why he proposed this challenge. He did it both to try to make me give up on saving Lae and to remind me that I was still just a newbie and that Hoss had the upper hand.

Although it managed to remind me of how weak I was, I wasn't going to give up. I still had a card to play.

I took up my sword once again, looked at Ron, and activated my blessing.

What I saw was a plain, illuminated by three suns, where a numerous flock of sheep was eating grass.

Not too far from there, a fierce battle between a pack of wolves and a flock of eagles was taking place. The wolves were coming out of a forest and then started to run forward, while the eagles constantly attacked them from above using their number superiority. In the middle of everything, there was a giant eagle with three pairs of wings fighting a humongous wolf.

All the eagles had a golden luster to their feathers and all the wolves had a dark aura and a monstrous appearance. The wolves seemed to be aiming at the sheep and the eagles were the ones to stop them. Also, by concentrating on the forest, I could see dark human-like shapes moving behind the trees.

After I returned to my body, I swiftly tried to figure out how to use what I saw. I wasn't completely sure of what I was doing but I decided what to try. I started to run, then I pointed forward my left hand and used all the mana I had left to recreate the most accurate reproduction I could muster of the humongous wolf munching on a half-dead giant six-winged eagle behind Ron.

Ron noticed it right away, he turned his head slightly and looked with the corner of his eye at the illusion. But as he saw it, he turned his head completely, he then for a moment showed a fearful expression and made a step toward me. That was all I needed.

I carefully aimed and swung my wooden sword, hitting him with all my strength between his legs, right where I aimed. winning our bet. I think he managed to protect his balls with some enhancement, but it must have hurt anyway.

For a moment time seemed to stop, with me staying still and Ron watching the illusion falling apart.

'Now all is left to do is decide where to put Lae.'

But I suddenly felt severe pain in my stomach. I fell to the ground without understanding what just happened.

--Lae's point of view--

The hero David just managed to win the bet but I still wasn't sure my life was going to be saved. After Ron was hit by David, he showed a furious expression, he swiftly launched a healing spell between his legs and then started hitting David with his wooden sword.

After David fell to the ground, he continued clubbing him all over his body, avoiding just the face. David tried to get up a couple of times but Ron kicked him to the ground again. David was gritting his teeth, enduring the pain. I wanted to run up to him and tell Ron to stop, but I knew I had no chance to stop him, neither of us two could.

It seemed like fate couldn't be changed after all.

Ron then stopped beating David and came towards me, with the eyes of a killer. I saw him clenching his wooden sword tightly. I imagined how it would be my head after being hit full strength by that thing. Considering how strong Ron was, my head would probably explode and end up on the wall behind me. I closed my eyes, picturing in my mind the life I once had with my family, and waited for death.

“Hey, you shitty eagle's scrotum, make another step and my earlier threat will become real.”

I opened my eyes, David was standing on his feet, behind Ron. One of his legs seemed very hurt and his arms were hanging limp. He seemed very hurt but he managed to rise up against all odds.

“Do you think that after this I wouldn't do it? Don't underestimate how vengeful I can be you trashy pretense of a noble.”

Ron stopped and gritted his teeth. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and, while looking at me, said:

“You monster, say to anyone a word about that and you're dead.”

He then rapidly got out of the room.

I couldn't believe what just happened. All I believed until now seemed to have been broken apart.

David stood still for a few seconds, then started laughing like a madman.

“HAHAHAHAHA. It has begun. My journey of revenge against fate has begun. I can almost hear Giorno's theme playing for me. I DEFEATED FATE!”

He pointed his finger at me.

“Rejoice Lae, you will be the first girl that has the possibility of accompanying me in my journey as an isekai protagonist. HAHAHAHA, it will be dangerous, but do not worry, I cannot lose. Now let us celebrate with drinking part- uhg.”

He suddenly fell face forward to the ground.

I didn't get anything that he just said but right, to me, now his words sounded like the most sound thing I ever heard.

' That man just now won against fate.'

That was the last thing I thought before I went to look for a healer.